Criminal Conviction Information

Intropara

Side Image

Side Image Caption

Image Caption

Image Caption

Page Content

​Universities have a duty of care to its students, staff and visitors, so in order to reduce the risk of harm or injury, applicants and current students are asked to disclose any relevant criminal convictions.

Applicants who apply through UCAS or direct to the Institution are asked to indicate if they have a relevant unspent conviction; or a spent or unspent conviction that would appear on an enhanced criminal records check. This process is covered by the DBS procedure for programmes that require a DBS check. However, for programmes where no DBS check is required, applicants will be sent the
Applicant Criminal Conviction(s) Declaration - Proforma. If you have a re​levant conviction that is not spent you are required to inform us of this.​

During the enrolment process applicants and current students are asked to disclose any new or previously undisclosed unspent convictions that might affect their studies at the university. It is important that students inform the university of any offences that are committed during their studies that may result in criminal charges being brought​ against them. Disclosure is very important for programmes that bring students into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults but also to the university, due to its duty of care to all students, staff and visitors.

Please see information below.

What does 'spent' mean?

If a person does not re-offend during their rehabilitation period, their conviction becomes 'spent' (as defined by The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974). Convictions that are spent are not considered to be relevant and you should not reveal them. You should note that certain offences are never spent.

Also, for certain programmes, you are required to declare all convictions whether spent or unspent if the programme requires a criminal records check. Please see the entry requirements of your chosen programme to see if this is a requirement.

Applicants can obtain advise on whether or not convictions are spent or relevant, and should be declared by contacting the charity Unlock - http://www.unlock.org.uk/. Information can also be obtained from the crime reduction charity National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) - http://www.nacro.org.uk/.

What is the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 aims to help people who have been convicted of certain criminal offences and have not re-offended since being convicted. People with few or minor convictions will therefore be able to 'put their past behind them' and be treated as everyone else with regard to employment and equal opportunity.

What is a relevant criminal conviction?

Relevant criminal offences include convictions, cautions, admonitions, reprimands, final warnings, bind over orders or similar involving one or more of the following:

Any kind of violence including (but not limited to) threatening behaviour, offences concerning the intention to harm or offences which resulted in actual bodily harm

Offences listed in the Sex Offences Act 2003

The unlawful supply of controlled drugs or substances where the offence concerns commercial drug dealing or trafficking

Offences involving firearms

Offences involving arson

Offences listed in the Terrorism Act 2006

If your conviction involved an offence similar to those set out above, but was made by a court outside of Great Britain, and that conviction would not be considered as spent under the Rehabilitations of Offenders Act 1974, you should indicate a conviction.

Warnings, penalty notices for disorder (PNDs), anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) or violent offender orders (VOOs) are not classed as convictions for the purpose of this section, unless you have contested a PND or breached the terms of an ASBO or VOO and this has resulted in a criminal conviction.

How will my application be handled if a relevant criminal conviction is declared

Your
application will still be considered by Cardiff Metropolitan University if a criminal conviction is declared on the application form and if satisfied that you are not a risk your application will proceed in the normal way.

Programmes that require an Enhanced DBS check:For programmes requiring a DBS check, applicants are sent information on how to undertake the online DBS process when they reply
Firm to their offer. Please refer to information concerning DBS checks on these pages or alternatively
click here.

Programmes that do not require an Enhanced DBS check:When a relevant unspent conviction is indicated applicants are asked for further information concerning the conviction and the application will be considered separately from academic qualifications and achievement. Applicants will be sent the Applicant Criminal Conviction(s) Declaration - Proforma, which should be returned to the Head of Admissions and Enrolment within 14 working days of receipt. For more information, please
click here.

Failure to declare a relevant criminal conviction may result in expulsion from the university.

All information concerning criminal convictions will be treated sensitively, confidentially and managed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Applicants accepted with a criminal conviction

Please note even though applicants with a criminal conviction may be given a place on a course this does not mean that students will be allowed on placements or have registration with relevant bodies. For those programmes where successful completion requires registration with the Health Profession or General Teaching Council students will need to apply to the body separately and at this point the case is reviewed and a decision made in relation to acceptance for registration.

What if I receive a relevant criminal conviction after I have applied

If you have committed a relevant criminal offence after you have made an application to Cardiff Metropolitan University you must inform Admissions of this.

How will disclosing a new offence at enrolment affect my studies at the university

For students undertaking a programmes that brings them into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults, as part of this process​, you maybe required to undertake a new DBS Disclosure.

​​Failure to declare a relevant criminal conviction may result in expulsion from the university.

All information concerning criminal convictions will be treated sensitively, confidentially and managed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998​.​​​

What if I receive a relevant criminal conviction during my studies

If you are convicted of a criminal offence, or are subject to investigation by the Police for committing such an offence, during your studies you are asked to disclose this to Student Services as soon as possible. This is required as the University has a duty of care to all students, staff and visitors, and Student Services would want to ensure that you had the appropriate welfare support. If you are studying a programme for which a DBS check was undertaken, you would have been informed of relevant procedures for disclosing an offence. ​

Should the University subsequently become aware of factual circumstances of a criminal conviction that was not brought to our attention as outlined above, the Student Disciplinary Procedure may be engaged.​